The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-04-09
Aun, Maria on sunday observanoe.


Aunt Maria has been our cook for
twenty years. and though she sometimes
mods In the chimney-corner. she is not
SO old as To burn the roast beef or scorch
the biscuits
Aunt Maria generally wears IA bright
colored handkerchief upon her head In
the shape of "A cornucopia. When she
puts on one as crimson as scrap of
sunset, aud very still with starch. she Is
in taikatlve mood.
At such times she loves 10 sit upon an
old horse-hair sofa in the corner of the
kitchen. and tell what she calls. de
tales my gran daddy told me " On 1
wuz a gal.
During the Christmas holidays Aunt
Maria entertained her young nephew
from the city with an opossum story.
evidently intended 10 .'point moral"
through the medium of the supernat-
ural
..lll tell you" she SAID, with AN air
OF infinite instruction. wv AT a 'possum'
like"
He's bout twict de size OBJ a growed-
up cat an he's gray an sorter shaggy.
wild long wool. but nit ain't kinky like
"A nigger's. He's got feet like "A cat, an
his tail Is ez cl'ar oh ha'r 81 hoop
staff OATS de DISAGREEMENT ob hnL
Hes powerful deceiyIn' animal.
He acts Jest like he's dead when he
amt He lays on de groun' quietsome
ez n corpse, an dey amt nuthin' kin
beat his deceiyinniss.
Il know some humans dat PLAYS
'possum ter keep from gwin ter work.
AN 1 amt got no-use for such trash.
"A fat possum Is better eatin' dan
roas' pig. He's greasy an good ter de
tase. Some people ruther chaw on de
bones oh u possum dan lie meat oh IA
rabbit
..Dar's a mighty big ,iifrrunce 'twiIt
possum an "A coon Coon meat Is
heap stronger ter ae taste dan possum
meat an dey don't favor wun anudder
emmy ways
Oars "A reetotal difTrunce 'twixt all
de animils. I'm gwin ter sing song
fer you dat lie cullud folks sings bout
de coon. de pOssum. am de rabbit"
Without further preface. Aunt Maria
plunged into the liyeiiesi of tunes. which
she sang in "A somewhat era ked but
very energetic voice. The words of the
chorus were these.
D. race -sn tale got a ring ali 'roun'
An - pussum taii gD bar,
DE rabbi uv get no All af all,
Aunt Maria's delighted listener asked
her enthusiastically TO sing something
else.
I'm obleeged ter You. honey" she
replied with evident qualification, .'but
I'm fleshicr dan | use ter be. an rse
got dc asmatics in my cbist. l'se afeard
ter sing. cept wunst IN "a while. But
III tell you tale dat my gran daddy
told me bout man dat used ter hab
de wiekeduess ob huntin' on SUNDAYS.
Gran 'dAady sai,i dc man-he WAS a
nigger man tiat "uzn't converted by
baptizin -foilercd buHtin' fer bisness
ali de days Oh 'le week. aD Sundays too.
''Hie wuz "a big possuni-hunter. He
went out wun Sunday mite wild gang
oO dogs ter hunt fer possuns.
After awhile de dogs got on lie trail
Oh "A pOssum. an treed nIt. DE dogs
wuz "A good wavs ahead OBJ de man. an
he called ter dem. an keep dem baying
at de tree tel he come.
when he got dar he seed big W. to
thing civering up tic limbs of de tree.
He TUX his ax. au' struck heaby lick
inter de tree. an cut hit down. But
'twarn't live .'possum he cotched,
'tVHz dc goSe ob Wul!
DE sperit spoke ter him an sed:
.Munday mite. Chuseday mite. Wensday
mite. Thursday mite. Friday mite. Sad
aay mite. Sunday Htte poor possum
can't git no res.
Den de- gose pitched on him from de
tree. an wrapped him an his dogs up
in sheet An wen de sperit unwoGn'
hit de dogs runned of an nebber wuz
seed no mo by nobody. DE man went
home. an tuck ter his bed an died
AN 1 b'lieves de kIllin' wuz done by
de Lord. case de hunter man nebber
minded wat de good book ses bout de
keepln' oh de Lords day. - William I'll.
HdyHe, tH Southern Bi01udc.